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Kent Denver surges to improbable 4A tennis title
Broomfield's Donaldson wins No. 1 singles crown
Published October 18, 2008 at 2:29 p.m.
Photo by Chris McLean © Pueblo Chieftain
Kent Denver's Frazier Cavness returns a shot against Cheyenne Mountain's Michael Cutter during their No. No. 3 singles championship match Saturday. Cavness won the match 6-7 (5-7), 6-4, 6-1 to give Kent Denver the team title over Cheyenne Mountain.
PUEBLO The impossible became possible for the Kent Denver High School boys tennis team Saturday.
The Sun Devils went undefeated in six matches - five in the finals and one for third place - to defeat three-time defending champion Cheyenne Mountain 70-69 to capture the Class 4A state tennis title at the City Park Tennis Complex.
"What an amazing day, the guys on this team are going to remember this for the rest of their lives," veteran Kent Denver coach Randy Ross said.
This is the Sun Devils fourth state boys tennis crown in school history. Kent Denver also won state in 2003 and 2004 outright and it tied Cheyenne Mountain in 1999 for the top honor.
Kent Denver came into the final day trailing the Indians 66-53 in the team standings. That meant the Sun Devils had to have Frazier Cavness (No. 3 singles), Matt Carroll/James Martinez (No. 1 doubles), Ross Mower/Graham Baker (No. 2 doubles), Max Maulitz/Matt Brittan (No. 3 doubles) and Chase Procknow/James Kreidle (No. 4) all take state and J.J. Shpall (No. 2 singles) had to finish third and all of that happened.
"I knew there was no doubt we could come back Saturday," Shpall said.
The Sun Devils' victory was definitely thrilling.
Kent Denver won five consecutive matches - all four of the doubles finals against Cheyenne Mountain - and Shpall defeated Mullen's Jeffrey Hudson 6-3, 6-3 for third place.
The Indians' countered with Jonathan Moore's victory over Broomfield's Connor Buchanan 6-4, 7-5 in the No. 2 singles final to give Cheyenne three team points. The Indians' John Adams lost this third-place match 6-2, 7-6 (7-4) to Pueblo County's Miles Lucero at No. 1 singles, thus leaving the winner of the match between Cavness and Michael Cutter at No. 3 singles to decide the state team champion.
Despite losing the first set 7-6 (7-5) to Cutter, Cavness didn't flinch.
"Pressure is good," Cavness said. "I enjoy it."
He must.
The senior roared back to win the second set 6-4.
"Once I won that second set, I could feel the momentum swing in my favor," Cavness said. "I had beaten him (Cutter) twice earlier this year and I wasn't about to let him beat me this time."
Cavness took care of business in the third set, winning 6-1, which set off a celebration for the Sun Devils.
"I owed it to my team to win this match and I owed it to my coach (Ross), he pours his life into this program," Cavness said. "This is just an incredible feeling to win this team championship."
Ross praised Cavness for his performance.
"You could not have written a better script," said Ross, whose five individual state championships also was a school record. "Frazier is our senior captain and he was playing the last match of the day to win it for us. He played amazing."
Cutter was left frustrated over the outcome.
"I thought I played pretty good," Cutter said. "I just needed to be more consistent. I was kind of nervous out there playing in front of all of those people. I just wish I would've won."
Dave Adams, Cheyenne's coach, was gracious in defeat.
"This was a heartbreaker to lose this way," said Adams, whose squad also lost a dual to Kent Denver 7-0 earlier in the season at Cheyenne Mountain. "Give Kent Denver credit, they came through (Saturday)."
Lost in the drama of the team chase was Broomfield's Kelly Donaldson's somewhat surprising victory over Wheat Ridge's Jelmer Vriesema, 6-2, 7-6 (7-5) in the No. 1 singles championship.
"I played awesome," said the 6-foot-3, 145-pound Donaldson. "I also feel fortunate to win because Jelmer is a great player."
Vriesema, who is an exchange student from Sittard, Netherlands, came into the finals with a perfect 19-0 record.
"My serve is a weapon and the first set, I couldn't serve at all," Vriesema said. "I also had chances to break him in the second set, but I couldn't do it."
In the second set, Donaldson and Vriesema were tied at 5 in the tiebreaker, when Vriesema fell over the net after hitting a volley. The Colorado High School Activities Association court official gave the point to Donaldson because Vriesema fell over the net.
The call didn't sit well with Wheat Ridge supporters and moments later Donaldson won the match.
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